The state chronicle., 1887-11-10

His mind is ever true, io:
His garter knit below his knee,
His bonnet it is blue, JO.
Then upwi' merry plougGman lad,
And hey my merry plOughman!
OF Il the trades that | do ken,
Commend me to the ploughman.
-[BURNs.
Asricnlture--Its Antiquity.
The object of this meeting and the sub
iect engaging its attention is as ancient as
the Human family. Its antiquity from its
necessity, to the support Of llfe-reachlng
as it does into far-otf years, where myths,
barbarisms and ignorance
held enchained the progress of mankind,
renders it a subject of curious conjecture
as to its conditions and practical manage
ment during the earlier ages of the world.
While there is the command: In the
sweat of thy face, thou shalt eat bread,
there is also the promise: While the earth
remaineth seed time and harvest and cold
aud heat, and Summer and Winter, and
day and night shall not cease.
During the wars of the Kings as far
back as the Abrahamic era, goods and
chattels were considered a legal capture in
times of war. For in the wars of the
Kings, and these Kings were doubtless
chiefs of petty tribes. They took all the
goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all
their victuals and went their way, and
among this capture was the person of Lot,
the nephew of Abraham, and his goods,
causing retaliation by the venerable Patrl-
arch-whO with distinguished Generalshlp
organized his household, and pursuing,
r, r,-captured his nephew, and all the goods
that were taken
1t is a matter of interesting speculation
how Moses in the Exodus, with the Hosts
of Israeli sustained their commissariat,
before the interposition of miraculous
power-or that Xerxes fed, clothed and
cared for incidentally, the immense army,
with which history records that he invaded
Greece-besides the land forces. variously
estimated at from one to two millions.
Aeschylus speaks of the Persian fleet
engaged in their grand naval action as -
GA thousand ships
for we'll know the number)
The Persian flag obeyed: Two hundred more
and seven, o erspread the sea
We are left to suppose, that at this early
period, agriculture though the implements
used must have been rude, attained a con
siderable stage of advance and that there
must have been a large surplus in produc-
ton, not only to maintain this vast army,
but the ancient armies IN general.
Dignity of Agriculture.
During the Roman period there are in
stances of its most distinguished citizens,
not only engaging in agriculture but
/ laboring, as Paul, the Apostle did, with
their own hands. Every school boy knows
that the great and simple Cincinnatus vas
called from his plow to defend Rome from
capture His change Of clothing was car
ried TO him in the field by his wife-for
he did not tarry even to visit his home.
Cato-the censOr-the mentor OF Roman
morals, manners aud patriotism, was not
only reared upon farm, but wrote work
on agriculture.
| Aristides, the just-the great Athenian
statesman, was buried on his farm.
| Bolingbroke, while suffering from polit-
ical difficulties and disabilities, sought
solace and comfort on his farm. As an
! instance of his eccentriclty and fondness
| for farm life, he had his hall painted with
agricultural implements, and over the door
| the motto:
ssSatis, Beatus. Ruris HOnOribus."
The country homes of England and the
ChateauX of France are the glory of theil
civilization.
In our own country some OF the most
distinguished leaders of the Republic found
in the retirement of their homes in the
country, that quiet and opportunity fol
reflection and communing with nature
that was so congenial to the spirits that
have lived in the past.
Its Literature.
But our business here is not so much tc
dwell upon the charms of country life, tc
the great or the lowly-but to treat o1
agriculture as it exists at present.
In the mental activity that pervades so
ciety, in the Nineteenth Century, in al
departments of neutrality-suspicious.
though the most neglected and oppressed
but most important of all the industrie:
and avocatlons, yet, Notwithstanding the
barriers to Its progress-it has engaged
and is engaging the mental efforts ant
energies of many of the ablest minds o.
the present day.
The agricultural works, periodicals and
papers enlisted in the defense of its right.
in its improvement, advance and eleva
ton are developing literature and giving
a dignity to the avocation, which is al
honor to the times in which we live, anC
while no one can be a farmer without ex
perlence and practical judgment, and at
tention to details, yet the time has come
and Will be more so, in the near future
when to be successful in the cultivation O.
the soil. 1t Is essential to be verSed in it
literature and science.
history of the literature of the pres
ent age would be very deficient. and ;
view and analysis of the theories and sci
entific developments of the able review
and journals devoted to the advancement
and Improvement of the agriculture
branch of industry.
At an early period, and even down t,
comparatively modern times, the sol
means of knowledge was in observation
and experience, and from this cause tn,
use of common manures-such as excre
ments of animals, rich earth and vegeta
BILE matter, to fertilize, and as it We're t,
bring up the soil for land can be mad
much richer than naturaD D-without refer
} ence to the ingredients.
There are aged men probably now liv
ing, who are engaged in farming who cal
recall the time. when the vegetable matte
of the woods, and particularly the leave
of the pine, first began to be hauled int,
, the lot and the feld-and there are thos
even at this time, who do not believe il
their value as a fertilizer But 1 can tes
: tlfV that have newer haulo1 what